…Still figuring it out

FoodPorn: Hornbill

Well, when I was thinking about diversifying my blog posts I thought let me include food blogs as well.

Hornbill is a cute, tiny restaurant located in Safdurjang, New Delhi. It has dim low-key interiors with a sepia theme inspired wall decor. Some pictures on the wall are originally from Nagaland which is the spirit of this restaurant. Parking near this restaurant is a huge issue and I would highly recommend you to take a cab, even if you are a local.

Also, this restaurant is hard to find. You might have to ask a lot of people before you actually step down inside the restaurant.

They were playing fresh pop music and the seating was minimal. However, the seating is in the typical North Eastern style wherein the seats are low in terms of height and are square in shape. A soft cushion is kept on each of the seats which allows a customer to sit while crossing his or her legs.

The funny and surprising thing is that the waiters give you a notepad and a pen to write your order. They also had a small white board which allowed you to see what is in their specials of the day and what is most preferred by people.

Unfortunately, they were out of chicken but we had some really interesting dishes served to us.

The first appetiser we ordered was frizzled smoked pork and two fruit beers. The frizzled smoked pork was extremely succulent and freshly prepared. The aroma and the sizzling hot pork pieces made us dive right into it. We were also served lemon slices with their masala to accentuate the flavours a tad bit more.

The second dish which had my eyes on as soon as I saw the menu and people eating there was the pork thali. Unlike ordinary restaurants, their thali is not small. It is more than enough for a single person and sufficient for two people. They serve you rice, coleslaw, pork gravy and dal. These dishes are cooked in bamboo shoots and have a sour tinge to it which compliments the rice and the coleslaw adds a crunch to the whole dish.

They serve you in wooden bowls with North Eastern wooden spoons.

The most surprising part about this restaurant is unlike other gastro pubs and even other restaurants trying to bring authentic cuisine to people, these people have not modernised or made their restaurant fancy. It has simplicity, humbleness and authenticity shout out from every corner of this restaurant.

Also, they had vegetarian options for all those who do not wish to eat pork or chicken, which included slow roasted potatoes, smoked veggies and much more which sounded equally scrumptious as the non-vegetarian dishes.

I would recommend this place to everyone as in my opinion it is a place you must try if you are in town and searching for unconventional authentic places to eat at.